Transcript Biotechnology Applications - Smyth County Virginia Public

Biotechnology Applications
By
Diana L. Duckworth
Rustburg High School
Campbell County
Uses of in vitro DNA
• DNA sequencing of base pairs
– Many organisms have been sequenced
– Human Genome Project
• Know the entire human genome at base pair level
• Use sequences to study a number of issues
– Address questions of evolution by comparing differences and
similarities in DNA; greater similarity, more closely related
– Study function of different genes & how they are regulated –
important with regard to gene therapy
• Ethical issues: Should one be able to patent a gene?
– Example – high cholesterol tolerance in Italian population; who
has the right to that gene & its products?
More in vitro applications
• Diagnosis of disease
– HIV in earliest stages
– Identify harmful alleles through gel
electrophoresis
• DNA fingerprinting
– Paternity tests
– Identification of criminals
Applications of in vivo DNA cloning
• Gene therapy
– Vector cells such as viruses used to produce
recombinant DNA containing gene a normal allele
from donor
– Used to infect in vitro bone marrow cells (stem cells)
from individual with genetic defect
– Cells are then reintroduced into patient
– Begin to produce normal proteins to combat the
disease
• Human trials in SCID (immune deficiency
disease)
– 9/10 showed improvement;
– 2 later developed leukemia as a result; trials
suspended
More in vivo applications
• Pharmaceutical products
– Bacteria such as E. coli as the host organism contain
gene for human insulin
– The gene is transcribed by the bacteria producing
insulin
– Can be produced in industrial environment to produce
insulin for use by diabetics
• Other pharmaceutical products
– human growth hormone and
– Tissue plasminogin activator or TPA (combats blood
clots causing heart attacks
– Vaccines; protein that stimulates immune response is
produced by genetic engineering just as other
pharmaceutical products
More in vivo applications
• Bioengineered bacteria can be created to aid in
environmental cleanup
– Already used in oil spills
– May be used to remove heavy metals from pollution
sites
• Agricultural Uses
– Transgenic livestock
• Desirable genes (even from other species) are injected into a
fertilized egg in vitro which is then implanted in a surrogate
• Developing fetus incorporates gene & organism then has that
trait
• Being used to create pharmaceuticals in eggs or in milk –
more economical & efficient
More agricultural uses
• Transgenic Plants
– Use plasmids from soil bacteria as vector
– Recombinant DNA incorporated into plant cells which
regenerate into mature plants
– Example: golden rice was engineered to contain
beta-carotene; combats Vitamin A deficiency in half of
the world’s population
– Pharmaceuticals in tobacco plants – vaccines such as
hepatitus B and factors which interfere with bacteria
that cause tooth decay
– Roundup resistant corn (cannot legally be used for
food)
• Ethical concerns: what if the plant escapes to
the wild? In food plants – what if strange genes
& proteins cause allergic reactions
http://www.goldenrice.org/